2000
#16,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,550
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.57
Rare Last name
Olmo
An Italian surname meaning "elm tree".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,144 Americans carry the last name Olmo. That puts it at #15,135 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 159,867 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olmo surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 159,867
Census rank
#15,135
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,870 bearers of the surname Olmo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15135th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olmo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 79.7%. The next largest groups are White (15.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Olmo
The surname Olmo is of Italian origin, derived from the Italian word "olmo" meaning "elm tree." It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Italy, particularly in the areas around Milan and Tuscany, where elm trees were abundant.
During the Middle Ages, many Italians adopted surnames based on their profession, physical characteristics, or the environment in which they lived. The surname Olmo likely emerged as a descriptive name, referring to individuals who lived near or were associated with elm trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Olmo can be found in the archives of the city of Pisa, dated around the 13th century. The name appears in various documents and records, such as tax rolls and property deeds, indicating that families with this surname were well-established in the region.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Olmo da Piacenza (c. 1330-1390) was a renowned Italian painter and sculptor who contributed to the artistic Renaissance in Italy. His works can still be admired in churches and museums throughout the country.
Another prominent individual with the surname Olmo was Giovanni Olmo (1564-1635), a Venetian diplomat and statesman who served as the ambassador of the Republic of Venice to various European courts during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
The surname Olmo also has connections to place names in Italy. For instance, the town of Olmo Gentile in the Piedmont region is believed to have derived its name from the abundance of elm trees in the area.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, as Italian immigrants began to settle in other parts of Europe and the Americas, the surname Olmo spread to various countries. One notable figure was Pedro de Olmo (1592-1667), a Spanish painter and architect who worked extensively in Mexico and is considered a pioneer of the Baroque style in the region.
Another example is Sebastián Olmo (1805-1874), a Chilean military officer and politician who played a significant role in the country's independence movement and served as the President of Chile from 1865 to 1871.
Overall, the surname Olmo has a rich history rooted in the cultural and linguistic traditions of Italy, with branches extending to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olmo
Among Census respondents with the surname Olmo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 79.7%. The next largest groups are White (15.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Olmo bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Olmo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino79.7% · 1,490
- White15.3% · 286
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 46
- Black or African American1.2% · 23
- Two or more races1.0% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olmo
Olmo appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#15,564
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,879
+329 bearers (+21.2%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 1,367 places
2020
#15,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,870
-9 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 429 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,931 | 1,550 | 0.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,564 | 1,879 | 0.64 | +329 bearers (+21.2%) | Up 1,367 places |
| 2020 | #15,135 | 1,870 | 0.63 | -9 bearers (-0.5%) | Up 429 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Olmo surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,564 | #15,135 | 2.8% |
| Count | 1,879 | 1,870 | -0.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.63 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olmo bearers went from 1,879 to 1,870 (-0.5% change). The surname moved up 429 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,564 to #15,135.
FAQ
Olmo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olmo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,144 living Americans carry the surname Olmo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 159,867 residents.
How common is Olmo?
Olmo ranks #15,135 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,870 people with the surname Olmo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,144), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Olmo.
Has Olmo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olmo went from 1,879 recorded bearers to 1,870. That is a decrease of 9 (-0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,564 to #15,135.
What does the Census say about the background of Olmo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olmo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 79.7%. The next largest groups are White (15.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Olmo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.7% (1,490 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olmo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (79.7%), White (15.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Olmo (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Olmo mean?
An Italian surname meaning "elm tree". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Olmo (0.63 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Olmo?
Want to know how common the surname Olmo is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.